Proposal to install pre-paid water meters in slums postponed

Mumbai, Dec 7 (UNI) The Standing Committee of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has postponed the proposal of installing pre-paid water meters in post-1995 slums till the next meeting.

Standing Committee Chairman Ravindra Waikar today postponed the proposal till the next meeting and asked the Additional Municipal Commissioner Manu Kumar Srivastav to make a presentation on the implementation of the proposal before the Standing Committee members.

According to the proposal, water will be distributed to the slums through pre-paid meters at Rs 2.25 per 1,000 litres and will be available throughout the day.

Standing Committee members expressing their view, said that unless there is enough security for the meters and their pros and cons are made clear, the proposal will not be cleared by the Committee.

There was a major difference between the ruling Shiv Sena-BJP corporators and the Congress led opposition on the issue.

The Congress-run State Government had promised the slum dwellers in the city that the slums till January 1, 2000 will be regularised and the BMC will supply water to them in order to avoid any water theft.

Earlier, slum dwellers from all over the city had opposed and protested against the BMC's proposal at Azad Maidan, CST, before the proposal was presented in the Standing Committee.